Catacombs of Lima
Catacumbas de Lima | |
![]() Human remains in the catacombs | |
Established | c. 1600[1] |
---|---|
Location | San Francisco Convent, Lima, Peru |
Type | Historic site |
Collections | Ossuary contents of Lima's viceregal catacombs |
Website | museocatacumbas |
The Catacombs of Lima (Spanish: Catacumbas de Lima) are underground ossuaries in the historic centre of Lima, Peru. The catacombs were built under the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco[2][3] and currently function as a museum.
History
In 1546, the Franciscan order began construction of the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco in Lima, which included the catacombs,[4] built to support the convent in the event of an earthquake.[5] The crypt's use as a cemetery continued for almost the entirety of the Spanish era of Peru, stopping in 1810[4] with some 25,000 bodies lying within.[5]
After the Peruvian War of Independence, the cemetery's use was banned by General José de San Martín, with the area being closed off soon after. It would not be reopened until 1950, now working as a museum.[4][6] It was closed a second time during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru[7]
The total area of the underground complex is not known, as it does not limit itself to the convent but continues to other landmarks in Lima, connecting the convent to the Government Palace, the Legislative Palace and the Alameda de los Descalzos on the other side of the Rímac river. Other tunnels led to the Puente de Piedra and the Casa de Aliaga.[1]
In 1981, attempts to map the entirety of the complex led to the aforementioned conclusion of the total area being unknown.[1] In addition to the tunnels that led to other points of the capital's centre, a crypt that possibly worked as an ammo depot (although another hypothesis links it to the Desamparados Church [es], built by Viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro, 10th Count of Lemos) was also found.[1] According to experts commissioned by the Peruvian State, the tunnels' likely purpose was protection against piracy of the area's locals and safekeeping of valuables.[1]
The San Francisco complex, which includes the catacombs, is one of the most important heritage monuments in the historic centre of Lima, which was declared on December 9, 1988, as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.[7]
Notable burials
- Constantino de Vasconcellos
- Manuel de Oms, 24th Viceroy of Peru and 1st Marquess of Castelldosrius
- García Sarmiento de Sotomayor, 16th Viceroy of Peru and 2nd Count of Salvatierra
- Fr. Juan Gómez, personal nurse of Francis Solanus, known due to Ricardo Palma's Tradiciones Peruanas[4]
- Fr. Ramón y Tagle y Bracho, son of José Bernardo de Tagle y Bracho, 1st Marquis of Torre Tagle[4][8]
- Fr. Andrés Corso, who was born in Corsica and died in the convent on June 10, 1620[4][9]
- Fr. José Francisco de Guadalupe Mojica, O.F.M.[4]
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
References
- ^ a b c d e García, Miguel (2021-09-29). "Criptas y catacumbas en Palacio de Gobierno: los misterios de los túneles que se mostraron en 1981". El Comercio.
- ^ "10 lugares históricos de la "Ciudad de los Reyes"". El Comercio. 2023-01-18.
- ^ Mariscal Herrera, Iris (2023-01-18). "Aniversario de Lima: ¿Cuáles son las curiosidades que esconde el Centro y que no sabías?". Perú 21.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Catacumbas: el cementerio colonial de Lima revela sus misterios". RPP Noticias. 2016-10-25.
- ^ a b "Perú: Catacumbas bajo Iglesias barrocas". Euronews / AFP. 2022-04-18.
- ^ "¿Qué secretos esconden las catacumbas de Lima?". Perú.
- ^ a b "Visita las catacumbas de Lima: horario y precio del recorrido por sus criptas". Infobae. 2021-10-26.
- ^ Richter F-Prada, Federico (1988). "Acta de traslación del cadáver del venerable P. Ramón Tagle y Bracho a la cripta de los venerables del Convento de San Francisco de Jesús de Lima" [Act of transfer of the corpse of the venerable Fr. Ramón Tagle y Bracho to the crypt of the venerables of the Convent of San Francisco de Jesús de Lima]. V. Fray Ramón Tagle y Bracho. Franciscano Limeño (in Spanish). Talleres Gráficos P. L. Villanueva.
- ^ "San Francisco". Roman Catholic Diocese of Huánuco.
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- Balconies of Lima
- Basilica and Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced
- Monument
- Plazoleta
- Basilica and Convent of San Francisco
- Catacombs
- Basilica and Convent of San Pedro
- Basilica of Santo Domingo
- Casa de Aliaga
- Casa de Divorciadas
- Casa de Osambela
- Casa de Pilatos
- Casa del Oidor
- Casa Goyeneche
- Casa Hacienda Punchauca
- Casa Matusita
- Casa O'Higgins
- Casa Riva-Agüero
- Casona of the National University of San Marcos
- Cathedral Basilica of Lima
- Sanctuary
- Cementerio Presbítero Matías Maestro
- Church of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Church of Saint Catherine of Siena
- Church of Saint Lazarus
- Church of the Good Death
- Church of the Holy Christ of Wonders
- Church of the Orphans
- Church of Our Lady of Copacabana
- Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Church of Our Lady of Patronage
- Church of Saint Anne
- Church of Saint Augustine
- Church of Saint Liberata
- Church of Saint Mary Magdalene
- Convent of Our Lady of the Angels
- Cuartel Barbones
- Fort of Santa Catalina
- Iglesia de la Recoleta
- Mogrovejo Hospital
- Monastery of Saint Rose of Lima
- National Mint of Peru
- Palacio de la Magdalena
- Palacio de Torre Tagle
- Panteón de los Próceres
- Plaza de toros de Acho
- Real Felipe Fortress
- Royal College of the University of San Marcos
- Royal Hospital of Saint Andrew
- Sanctuary and Monastery of Las Nazarenas
- Sanctuary of Saint Rose of Lima
- Seminario de Lima
- St. Clare's Monastery
- St. Sebastian's Church
- Trinitarian Church
- Walls of Lima
- Archbishop's Palace
- Association of Amateur Artists
- Atlas Building
- Bar Cordano
- BBVA Building
- Begonias Tower
- Casa Arenas Loayza
- Casa de Correos y Telégrafos
- Casa de las Trece Monedas
- Casa del Pueblo
- Casa Fernandini, Lima
- Casa Fernandini, Santa María del Mar
- Casa Roosevelt
- Casa Rusa
- Casa Sal y Rosas
- Casa Suárez
- Chinatown
- Chocavento Tower
- Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken
- Club de la Unión
- Club Nacional
- Country Club Lima Hotel
- Cristo del Pacífico
- Delfines Hotel & Convention Center
- Desamparados station
- Diez de Octubre School
- Eduardo Dibos Colosseum
- El Ángel Cemetery
- Gamarra
- Government Palace
- Gran Hotel Bolívar
- Gran Hotel Maury
- Guadalupe College
- Hermitage of Barranco
- Hospital Civil de la Misericordia
- Hotel Crillón
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
- Institute of Hygiene
- Interbank Building
- Javier Alzamora Valdez Building
- La Atarjea
- La Colmena Building
- La Rosa Náutica
- Larcomar
- Library of Congress
- Lima Civic Center
- Legislative Palace
- Lima Convention Center
- Lima Stock Exchange Building
- Luis Gálvez Chipoco Stadium
- Mesa Redonda
- Monumental Stadium
- Morro Solar War Monument
- Mosque of Lima
- National Geographic Institute
- National Library of Peru
- National Maternal Perinatal Institute
- National Stadium of Peru
- Palacio de la Exposición
- Palacio de Miraflores
- Palacio Municipal
- Palace of Justice
- Petroperú Building
- Public Ministry of Peru
- Quinta Heeren
- Quinta Leuro
- Quinta Presa
- Rospigliosi Castle
- Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus Church
- Sheraton Lima Historic Center
- Stone of Taulichusco
- The Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center
- Torre Banco de la Nación
- Aeronautical Museum
- Bodega y Quadra Museum
- Canout Theatre
- Casa Grau Naval Museum
- Combatants of the Morro de Arica Museum
- DIRCOTE Museum
- Gold Museum of Peru and Arms of the World
- Gran Teatro Nacional
- José Carlos Mariátegui Museum
- Larco Museum
- Lima Art Museum
- Metropolitan Museum
- Morro Solar Planetarium
- Municipal Theatre Museum
- Museum of Congress and the Inquisition
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Museum of the Brain
- Museum of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru
- Museum of Elections and Democracy
- Museum of Italian Art
- Museum of Natural History
- National Afro-Peruvian Museum
- National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History
- National Museum
- National Museum of Peruvian Culture
- Naval Museum
- Pinacotheca of Lima
- Teatro Colón
- Teatro Municipal
- Teatro Peruano Japonés
- Teatro Segura
- Cinco esquinas
- Jirón de la Unión
- Pasaje Olaya
- Paseo de los Héroes Navales
- Las llamas
- La yunta
- Paseo Colón
- Columbus Statue
- Pizza Blvd.
- Plaza de la Bandera
- Plaza Bolívar
- Plaza Bolognesi
- Plaza de la Democracia
- Plaza Dos de Mayo
- Plaza Francia
- Statue of Liberty
- Plaza Grau
- Monument
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- Plaza José Faustino Sánchez Carrión
- Plaza Manco Cápac
- Plaza Mayor
- Plaza Perú
- Plaza Ramón Castilla
- Monument
- Plaza San Martín
- Plazuela de las Artes
- Plazuela del Teatro
- Alameda Chabuca Granda
- Alameda de los Descalzos
- Bridge of Sighs
- Campo de Marte
- Costa Verde Pan-American Complex
- El Olivar
- Friendship Park
- Heroes of Independence Park
- Huachipa Zoo
- Malecón de Miraflores
- Medicinal Botanical Garden
- Kennedy Park
- Lachay National Reserve
- Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge
- Parque de la Exposición
- Parque de La Muralla
- Parque de la Reserva
- Parque de las Leyendas
- Paseo de Aguas
- Plazuela Chabuca Granda
- Reducto № 2
- University Park
- Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University
- Cayetano Heredia University
- Federico Villarreal National University
- National Superior Autonomous School of Fine Arts
- National University of Engineering
- National University of San Marcos
- Officers' School of the National Police of Peru
- Peruvian University of Applied Sciences
- Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
- Raúl Porras Barrenechea Institute
- Ricardo Palma University
- Technological University of Peru
- University of Engineering and Technology
- University of Lima
- Banco Comercial
- Barranco Lake
- Barranco Zoo
- Cabildo of Lima
- Casa Alcántara
- Casa Marcionelli
- Casa Oechsle
- Casa Tenaud
- Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken
- Church of Saint Mary of Charity
- Cine Tauro
- El Sexto Prison
- Gate of Lima
- Giacoletti Building
- Great Clock of Lima
- Hipódromo de San Felipe
- Hipódromo de Santa Beatriz
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- Limatambo Airport
- Limatambo Building
- Marsano Palace
- Moorish Arch
- Museo de la Nación
- National Stadium
- San Jorge Prison
- San Martín barracks
- Venetian Palace
- Saint Paul's College
- Viceregal Palace